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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26974453">Crimson Dawn Rising</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FortunaMuta/pseuds/FortunaMuta'>FortunaMuta</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Author Is Confused, BAMF Hinata Shouyou, CRWAUNCH is that the sound they make, Goshiki is traumatized like everyone else, Hinata and Kyoutani BROTP, Hinata and the OC get cool names, Hinata has a crush on Kageyama, Hinata thinks sunsets are pretty, I had a plan, I'll add ships as the story goes on, Iwaizumi said it may not be godzilla but he's ready, Loss of Humanity, Mai is a godsend in the kitchen, Medic Yachi, Moniwa is really good with his hands, Multi, No beta I just die, Pessimistic Oikawa Tooru, Where is Kageyama, Where is Karasuno???, Zombies, badass Team, but then another plan came, he takes care of the kids, how tf do you make tags, the world lost its hope, timeskip??</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:20:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,979</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26974453</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FortunaMuta/pseuds/FortunaMuta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Haikyuu Zombie Apocalypse AU<br/>"I believe everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."<br/>-Marilyn Monroe</p><p>Shōyō watches as the sun rises, the smell of smoke and blood clings to his clothes thoroughly ruining the otherwise beautiful moment, he couldn't believe he had made it another day. </p><p>Oh and remember these characters belong to Haruichi Furudate.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Izumi Yukitaka/Sekimukai Kouji</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi my names Fortuna Muta, but I guess you can just call me FM. Anyway this is the very first story I have ever written (I started this back in June) so I'm sorry in advance if it's not very good. Also I've been watching Haikyuu for a long time and it really inspired to write and even got me into fan-fictions. Alright that's enough heart to hearts. About the story it's going to be Hinata centric, I will be including quite a few OC's during the story (don't worry I will include character breakdowns). Also I kinda have the story planned out, but feel free to put suggestions and keep me updated on how you feel about the story.</p><p>So here are the characters that will appear in the next 3 chapters:</p><p>Hinata Shouyou<br/>Age: 16</p><p>Yukitaka Izumi<br/>Age:15</p><p>Koji Sekimukai<br/>Age: 16</p><p>And my OC<br/>Mari Nakamura:<br/>Gender: Male<br/>Age: 17<br/>Short Curly White Hair in undercut style(With blonde highlights mixed lightly in), Warm Honey Brown Eyes, Short but Lean Build, Light Brown Skin.</p><p> </p><p>Alright Peace out homies and once again…</p><p>Hope you get high off this stupidity and enjoy the trip ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It all went to hell, in the blink of an eye. Families, friends, and strangers tore into each other without a flash of remorse. Like a house of cards the government could not withstand the major shift in society so it fell, and slowly the world around them followed. Millions of people died on what was now called The Red Night, many joked that the virus weeded out the weak; others believed those that died on that night were lucky, they had dodged a bullet which they called living after the New Dawn. For those who lived, well they changed in ways they never thought possible. People who were once kind and inviting became cold and distant, many quickly became violent. Those who fought for a non-violent lifestyle...well didn't live long, and that was a bitter pill to swallow for many. In the years that followed, people gathered in groups and formed their own communities; and with these new communities came fights over land and more death. So in this New Dawn many people realized that one common foe had split into a million different dangers, and Shōyō knew that better than anyone.</p><p>Flashback</p><p>(The Red Night)</p><p>When everything went down I was on my way home. The trek from the Karasuno High gym to my home was only 30 minutes if I kept up the same pace; today I took my time after an extremely taxing workout Daichi had put us through. It had been silent for most of my ride home, and I was slightly lulled by the chirping of crickets and movement of the wind between the trees. But that tranquility was broken when I found myself just 10 minutes away from being able to jump into my warm bed.</p><p>AHHHHHHHHHH!</p><p>The sound of a scream broke me out of my trance almost causing me to lose control of my bike as I focused on staying on the trail. As the first scream cut off there was an eerie silence. That's when the bottom dropped out; a chorus of screams had erupted and he felt a chill go down his spine as he fought the urge to turn back, and maybe convince Kageyama he could spend the night. But he pushed this idea away, because screaming meant danger and he needed to make sure his mom and sister were okay. So with newfound energy he pedaled faster to make it home. The screams continued to get louder and louder, even the forest seemed to shrink back; but Shōyō had one thing on his mind:</p><p>Please be okay, mom and Natsu.</p><p>When he reached the village it was utter chaos, people were running and screaming, and he thought he was hallucinating when he saw a store clerk bite into the shoulder of an elderly woman who was trying her hardest to push him off. Shōyō felt bile rise up in his throat but he did not let that distract him, focusing all of his attention on getting home and increasing his speed. Weaving his bikes to the outside of the chaotic streets. The smell of smoke and something sour hit his nose, almost causing him to keel over right there. He couldn't pinpoint the smell so he ignored it. He finally rounds the corner of his street and sees a sight that makes his heart clench and his knees go weak. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Bitter Pill to Swallow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What makes Hinata's knees go weak and his nightmares come to life? Find out in this chapter, where Hinata will have to come to terms with his new reality.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His street is painted in red. </p>
<p>Ditching the bike, Shōyō runs for his house, completely jumping the steps to get inside. He runs through the already open door 'why is the door open' he's not given enough time to consider when he reaches the single thing that haunts his nightmares. He's still in the entryway of the house when he sees...</p>
<p>little Natsu Hinata sprawled out on their family living room floor, missing half her skull and most of her legs. </p>
<p>N-NO!</p>
<p>no no no n-no, </p>
<p>please</p>
<p>Shōyō throws up, the bile burning the back of his throat as he lets out a guttural cry, choking on the vomit it sounds animalistic. He shook his head harshly trying to purge his mind of the images of his sister's mangled body. N-no it can't be true, this can't be real. No matter how much he tried to convince himself what he had seen had been fake he couldn't force his eyes to open, they stayed squeezed shut. He felt wetness on his knees from the vomit and tears but he couldn't have cared less. He had fallen at some point frozen on the floor, behind their couch paralyzed for he doesn't know how long. </p>
<p>But he finally opened his eyes, the tears continued to stream and he could barely breathe, he crawled towards his sister. Once he reached her he laid his head on her chest and sobbed. He didn't care about the blood or the vomit...maybe he should have been more aware. Maybe he should have processed the situation faster. He knew he needed to find his mom, but seeing little Natsu like that so...broken, led Hinata to believe he was most likely alone in this cruel world that took little sisters away from their older brothers in the most painful way possible. He refuses to look back at her, forcing himself to remember what she had looked like before today; refusing to remember her brokenness. Natsu, a sassy ball of sunshine who's smiles could thaw even the coldest hearts. I mean Kageyama loved her. </p>
<p>I wonder if Kageyama is ok? </p>
<p>Forcing that question to the back of his mind as he continues to search for his mother in the house. Looking back on this moment Hinata scolds himself for not noticing how the stench of decay grew stronger, the slight difference in how his little sister smelt and what he was smelling then. </p>
<p>That's when the floorboards creak and he hears growling coming from the basement. Why would someone be in the basement? It was always locked, was the one thought running through his mind, sometimes he wishes he never entered that basement. As he continues down the steps of the basement the stench gets stronger, Hinata has to will himself not to throw up. What he finds becomes the second most popular thing to invade his dreams in the future. </p>
<p>There his mother was a disfigured hole between her eyes and a puddle of blood beneath her head to match. He can't stop the bile that rises up; he's bent over emptying the remaining contents of his stomach.</p>
<p> He was struggling to breath, gasping for breath, there was a sharp pain just behind his eyes that caused tears to pool in his eyes. He probably would have stayed there hunched over longer if not for the growl that left his panic attack a distant memory. Dragging themselves forward on the cement floor was none other than his mom. </p>
<p>He froze, his first thought was to hug her but that quickly changed when he saw her eyes, they were blood red; his mother's eyes were a honey brown like his own with flecks of gold. Something was not right, and that way was confirmed when his mother tried to take a bite out of his ankles, darting to the other side of the room, he realized his mistake too late. </p>
<p>He was now on the opposite side of his only escape. You're probably like "Hinata you didn't even try to save your mom?" But he had tried to reason with her, speak to her, tell her that it was her loving son Shouyou, it was as if she couldn't hear him. Hinata was backed against the wall when something began digging into his back, maybe he could use this as a weapon; taking the chance he turns around and he comes face to face with a medium sized axe.</p>
<p>Maybe hope still existed </p>
<p>Quickly grabbing his new weapon and turning back around the color drains from his face, his mother was now awkwardly standing up, limping and shuffling her way towards him. He had to remind himself this was not his mother, his mother had died, the thing standing before him was a monster. So without any hesitation Hinata runs forwards swinging his axe is an arcing motion chanting...</p>
<p>Just like a tree, just like a tree, just like a tree</p>
<p>Squelch</p>
<p>Crack</p>
<p>Darkness; </p>
<p>when had he closed his eyes? Opening them he saw where the axe was embedded into the monsters neck. The monster wailed out, groaning and moaning as it clawed its way towards him. Jumping back still gripping axe, he was able to dislodge it and without hesitation he swung it again,</p>
<p>and again,</p>
<p>and again,</p>
<p>ang again.</p>
<p>Dark blood was splattered everywhere in the basement, looking like a scene straight out of a horror movie. He successfully removed the monster's head from its shoulders. He avoided looking at the zombies disfigured body, shock, the only thing coursing through him as he realized that he had killed something. That's when it hit him:</p>
<p>"I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF A MOTHER TRUCKING ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE!!!"</p>
<p>His body collapsed without the aid of adrenaline. The panic attack from earlier decided to resume where they had left off, except this time Hinata realized he couldn't get his breathing to slow down. His breaths were coming out erratically, black dots were starting to dot his vision, and once again he was bent over trying to get his body to obey the rules.</p>
<p>Breathe in, hold for four.</p>
<p>Breath out, hold for four. Or something like that, he tried not to focus on the fact that he had not been paying attention when Ukai-sensei went over breathing exercises.</p>
<p>He repeated the process for a minute until he could get his breathing under control. Looking back up his gaze landing on his mother, the monster that had just tried to release him of his foot. Even dead, it made his skin crawl and his stomach lurch. Hinata sat bawled up in the corner of his basement staring at his mother hoping that this was all a horrible hallucination, the rational thinking part of his brain had left him the moment he saw his sister and the only thing that he was using was instinct. </p>
<p>So he grabbed the axe and avoided looking at his mother as he made his way back up the basement stairs. He staggered, the exhaustion finally kicking in, he made sure to lock the front door; pushing the couch against it in hopes to keep anyone....or anything out. He realized he should have known when he first came through the town seeing people ripping each other apart, but he was too focused to let his brain work properly. All he wanted to do right now was curl up and cry himself to sleep. Picking up the axe he made his way up the stairs to his room and once he closed the door, he collapsed on to his hands and knees, this time the tears didn't start. </p>
<p>He was sinking, unable to think clearly or at all. It was like his head was turned into a station that only picked up static. Days passed without him moving from that spot on the floor without him even recognizing. He couldn't distinguish between the vivid nightmares and his waking hours listening to the unusual quiet of his room. He continued to drown in this foreign feeling...would you call it grief. He had grieved before, but it had never felt like this, but he had also never grieved alone. At that thought the tears began to fall and he couldn't push down the sobs that shook his small frame. All he wanted was to not be alone.</p>
<p>ᵃˡᵒⁿᵉ</p>
<p>No he was on a team, THE TEAM</p>
<p>He scrambled out of the pile of covers he had grabbed to find ph-</p>
<p>shit.</p>
<p>He smacked himself in the face. This whole time he had let his emotions run rampant, his room a mess from where he would get up from time to time to punch the wall or slam his head against his desk. He spent days alone, when he could have been searching for his teammates/his friends. </p>
<p>He yanks the door of his room open and his eyes water at the stench coming from downstairs. </p>
<p>He knows what he has to do, he pauses at the top of the basement acutely aware of what lay at the bottom. But he needed to start moving. Carefully making his way down the stairs he clutches the axe in his hand, he could see the pooling blood from the steps. He barely spared another look at the body moving methodically, towards the shovel hanging on the wall. </p>
<p>It takes him three hours to build two shallow graves in his mother's garden behind the house. It was eerily quiet, all the wailing and destruction had disappeared. All that was left was unsettling silence, Shoyo had never been fond of silence, he stared at the setting sun and how it casts a red hue onto the sky. It was beautiful. It took him another two hours to carry his mother and sisters' bodies then bury them. Placing three purple stocks on each grave.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He couldn't help collapsing onto his knees this time. It was all real, Natsu being dead and his mom being a zombie. He sobbed, he had cried so many tears the past few days that the only thing he could do now was dry heave, he let himself breakdown. He would give himself five minutes, and he knew it would take time for him to come to grips with what happened but he needed to take a shower and move on. </p>
<p>He couldn't stay in the house, he needed to find his friends. Punching his fist into the ground, he let one last cry break past his lips, then he clenched his teeth and pushed himself up. He was going to take a long shower, to get off all the dirt and blood and other bodily fluids that he was covered in. </p>
<p>He smelled horrible. </p>
<p>Turning on the water he took off his gym clothes finally. He frowned at the thought that this was one of his favorite hoodies. He stepped into the shower, a shock biting into the soles of his feet as he stepped on to cold ceramic tile. The water wasn't hot, at least not yet; crimson and deep shades of brown swirled together down the drain, he wished that the stream would take the horrible images of his mother and sister with it.</p>
<p>After almost an hour in the shower, he is finally ready to pack up what he needs. He checks his phone seeing that none of his texts went through to anyone. He was worried obviously, but he couldn't freak out; not yet. </p>
<p>If he was really in the zombie apocalypse he needed to stack up on equipment and necessities He had changed clothes and grabbed a backpack to carry anything essential he would need and placed everything down stairs. </p>
<p>After grabbing his stuff and finding his bike Hinata is wearing one of his volleyball hoodies and black sweatpants to go with. In his backpack he has a couple pair of underwear, socks, two shirts, and another pair of pants.</p>
<p> He also packs a stick of deodorant (because even if it's the apocalypse he rather not attract zombies with his own horrible BO), a toothbrush, plus his favorite manga, and a picture of his mom and Natsu. </p>
<p>Using his knowledge from the Walking Dead and workshop class he creates a carry sling for his ax so he can always have it on him. If his world had not just been completely hacked he would have thought he looked totally badass (although now he will admit that he looks super cool). </p>
<p>Before he left home he forced himself to eat, and stuff any non perishables plus bottles of water into his main bag and a smaller bag dedicated to food (don't worry guys I made sure the bag could attach to my bike) since he wasn't sure when he would be able to stock back up on necessities. </p>
<p>Timeskip (The following morning at dawn)</p>
<p>Shoyo grabbed his bike and stared off down the street, watching as zombies shuffled about. The crimson haze of a rising dawn settled on him. </p>
<p>I bet you no one thought Hinata Shouyou would survive the apocalypse.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>And that will be a bitter pill for most to swallow.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Author's Note</p>
<p>Alrighty, yeah so I hope you liked this chapter. In the next chapter we will see Hinata make the journey to check on some old friends that live close to him or I might time skip again, where their group has been together for a couple months or something. I'm not sure yet, let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions.</p>
<p>(Also in the part where Hinata shuts down, he stays cooped up in his room for about 3 days; in regards to using the bathroom idek...lets ignore that or make it really sad and say he went in his room because he was afraid to go out)</p>
<p>Stay Crackalackin,</p>
<p>FM </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Into the Woods</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hinata ventures into the woods to find a friend.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Timeskip…(Later in the day)</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shit. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I have been walking for what feels like forever, and my plan was to head towards Izumi’s house seeing as he lived the closest to me. Weirdly enough I haven’t seen a single person on the streets as I made my way to his house. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Although seeing the destruction first hand after a little less than a week since the outbreak is surreal. Buildings continued to burn from where fires had been started or cars flipped over in the middle of the street or parked through the window of some small shop I think I may have visited once. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So technically I had seen humans but only the corpses of those who hadn’t made it. The stench was overwhelming, 10x worse than the way my hou- anyway it smells horrible out here. It's funny how on most days it takes me about 20 mins to get to Izumi’s house but today with zombies roaming the streets two hours have passed and most of it has been spent hiding in trees or behind buildings waiting for zombies to pass by. I looked around the wall of the current building I'm hiding behind. My knuckles slowly turn white from my grip on the handlebars. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zombies were scattered down the street, some in small groups others dragging themselves slowly from one place to another. I could take the back alley, but that would be risky because I would have fewer options for escape in case of trouble.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hitting myself on the head a couple of times.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>C’mon Shouyou you can do it, you can’t give up and go home now.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taking the riskier option he walks through the alleyway that's clear of zombies, walking his bike instead of riding just in case he had to make a run for it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The bricks from the back of the building and the cool gust of air reminding him that the morning cold is setting in. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Moving slowly he made sure to listen to his surroundings, occasionally hearing the moaning and grunting of zombies from the main street. He focuses on the end of the alleyway that remains clear. He would take the forest path to Izumi’s house. It's a straight path.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Halfway out of the alley he realized how fucked he would be if zombies were to come from both sides. He hadn’t even made it a day out of his house and he already was making dumb decisions. He definitely needs to hurry up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>2hrs later (he’s now in the forest)</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If you asked anyone who knew Hinata as a child, they would tell you the boy belonged to the forest. As a child, he would spend hours wandering, playing, and meeting as many new animals as he could. As he grew up the forest became his home too, a place he was very familiar with. Continuing his walk through the forest he suddenly remembers a conversation with his team ironically about the best places to hide during an apocalypse. Hinata said the forest and everyone said that would be the dumbest place to hide, everyone said either he or Asahi would die first, he was mildly offended while Asahi agreed with the team's assessment. He always thought the forest would be a great place for him because he knew it so well. And he wouldn’t have to worry about tons of people because they would be afraid of the forest as well. So he couldn’t help his first smile as he moved through the forest on his way to Izumi’s house. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d prove them wrong he would not die here.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hinata POV</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alright almost there, the ground sunk a little with each step I made, huh it must have rained the previous night. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Despite the circumstances, the leaves of the tall oaks glistened prettily underneath the rays of the sun. I caught a glimpse of a squirrel and automatically thought about all the poor animals probably stuck in their homes or in ca-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>fuck!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hands shooting out by my side I catch myself from face planting into the slightly muddy ground. So much for being, </span>
  <em>
    <span>one with the forest. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I can’t help but laugh at my own stupidity. I needed to stay aware of my surroundings. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That's when I heard it, a muffled groan not too far away. And like that I’m still, looking around slowly. Trying to pinpoint the disturbance in the forest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I was completely frozen when my eyes landed on a tall well-built form, leaned over a small bush. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The sound of ripping and gnashing echoed through the forest as the creature got a better grip of its prey.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>no-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>no.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Without blinking a take in the sight of what looks like one of my old neighbors, an elderly man who loved to garden and take his cats on walks. He was tearing into what looked like a..</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>DEER!!!!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No no no this is bad.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If the zombies are not only feeding on humans but animals as well, they could disrupt the entire ecosystem. I need to begin hunting </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dammit, I have no idea how to hunt. I need to find someone who could teach me or gets some books. Wait, we'd need to know how to preserve the meats. Learn about different dishes sustainable enough to last for long periods of time. Ughhh why couldn’t this be simple?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>hehehe kags would be so impressed by my strategy skills.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> My head is a jumble of thoughts, but I don’t dare take my eyes off of the monster in front of me.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>My chest begins to burn and I realize that I have stopped breathing, slowly I begin to take in air. But that was all it took, a slow inhale and the neck of the monster snapped in my direction.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The deer carcass fell to the ground as we held eye contact, it was a split second but, like that it was running.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>rUNNING</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>closer. closer.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I wrench myself around, leaving the bike grabbing my bag, and running. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The trees blend together as I force each step to be stronger than the last hurling myself forward.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tears well up in my eyes</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The groaning and chorus of destruction the monster behind me creates slowly overpowers the erratic beating of my own heart. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Knowing he can’t spare another look behind him he trudges forward shouldering the bag closer to himself as he runs. Hinata continued to run narrowly missing a branch that scratches the side of his face. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He stifles a cry, the adrenaline pushing him forward, barely feeling the stinging pain. Leaping over fallen trees and winding through the narrow path he realizes he’s leading this zombie towards Izumi’s house, and he can’t help but trip.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No no no no</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> STOP!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>In the forest of Yugioka screams were heard once again.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Hinata scrambled trying to get up but was knocked down by a powerful force. They tumble for a second, Hinata brings his hands to his bag placing it between the zombie and himself.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span> The forest once again filled with the groaning and inhuman growling of the zombie, but this time it was accompanied by the determined shouts and groans of one Hinata Shoyo refusing to give up. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I won’t die like this, I refuse to die like this. Not after what I had to do to my mom, not after taking the time to bury Natsu.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But why the freak is this thing so heavy, the guy doesn’t even look that big. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sharp nails dig into his side and shoulder as the zombie tries to bite into him. This incites a wail from Hinata who has tears streaming down his face, he’s not even aware of the rocks and sticks that begin to press into his back or the way his arms quiver as he keeps it firmly pressed into the zombies face.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He tries thinking of a way to kill the zombie and is sadly aware of the fact that he can’t grab the ax without letting go of the book bag that is the only thing separating him from the zombie. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>His arms begin to ache and he wonders bitterly if this is what his teammates meant or imagined when they all laughed and said he would be one of the first to die. Did they imagine him pinned underneath a guy five times his size, pressing his school bag up into its face crying his eyes out, as sharp nails ripped into his sides and shoulders. He suddenly thought of Asahi and hoped whatever bad karma their team had sent out hadn’t affected him too. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>So he knew he was definitely scratched but what would that mean, he still isn’t sure of how the virus passes. For all, he knows the scratches he’s acquired could be his death sentence. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That single thought sends a chill down his spine and forces another wave of tears to fall. If only he could hurt the zombie, but could they even feel pain? From what he had noticed-no.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Zombies did not feel pain; they relentlessly attacked their prey until they decapitated or mutilated in some other way where they could no longer pursue you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He thanks the gods that he was a spiker and had been able to build up some muscle, otherwise he would have been subjected to a terrible bite somewhere a long time ago. He honestly should be glad the zombie hadn’t tried to bite at his ankles or legs, actually……</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Why did the zombie seem so intent on biting him in the face or maybe the neck? The tears suddenly stop and he tries to focus on the weight above him that is still struggling to get to him through the bag. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Why wasn’t this zombie just randomly biting him wherever? </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>As if he had offended the gods' apparent goodwill towards him, a striking pain was sent through his hand and all he could do was let out a choked sob, the bag was forgotten as he tried to rip back his hand from the zombie's mouth. He could feel teeth shredding muscle and his head spun from the pain, black spots began to dot his vision most likely from the blood loss, if he could laugh he would. He honestly couldn’t believe he would die this quickly; not after his original statement of showing people that he could survive, maybe if he had stayed home or….nevermind. He wouldn’t die. He continued to fight for his hand but the blood loss was becoming too much and he felt the nausea build up. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Huh, I guess the forest was really too dangerous for me. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>All of a sudden the weight on top of him stops moving and the jaw secured on his hand becomes limp. Hinata tries to suck in a breath but can’t seem to gather enough energy, his eyes struggle to stay open but the erratic thumping of his heart slows and he feels his eyes flutter close, he fights to keep them open but it proves to be too much. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>H-hey a-a-are you alright?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Can you hear me?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Hinata can’t seem to get his eyes open and the pull of sleep on his conscious is stronger than ever, he wishes he could make some sound to let the stranger know that he was alive. The body on top of him is pushed off and a wave of pain floods his senses. His savior gasped in what he thought was surprise, probably noticing the flinch….or maybe the scratch marks were worse than he thought. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Okay please don’t die okay, I'm gonna help you. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Hinata tried fluttering his eyelids again to signal that he had heard the stranger, he really hoped he could be saved. He slowly fades into the welcoming darkness and the last thing he feels is the stranger's hands slowly pulling him forward. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi, I want to say thank you for those who have read the story and left a kudos it means a lot. I kinda lost the motivation to write the story; I was struggling with fitting parts together but I'm kind of back and will try to update at least once a week.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A Mothers Choice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Shoyo takes a well-deserved nap. </p>
<p>Decisions need to be made, but regular parenting books don't include a section on what to do in case of a zombie apocalypse.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yuma Yukitaka POV</p>
<p>
  <em>Finally, she closes the door to her bedroom letting herself slide down until her bottom touches the ground. Pulling her knees into her chest she finally lets the sobs shake her body making sure she muffles the sound with a firmly placed hand to her mouth. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She sentenced a child to its death.</em>
</p>
<p>(Last Week)</p>
<p>
  <strong>Hey sunshine, how was your field trip?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The adorable 6-year-old hopped into the backseat with confidence and a bright smile.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“TODAY WAS AWESOME YUKITAKA-SAN”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Na-chan let's remember to use our inside voices remember.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I glance up in the rearview mirror to give her a bright smile when I catch the dark red blush settling across her cheeks in embarrassment. I quickly turn back to the light turning green.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Sorry Yukitaka-san and we saw the dinosaurs and even the weird glue people-”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The little girl continued to talk and then I startled at the mention of something concerning. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-and then the man bit the women in the neck, like a blah blah blah ummm VAMPIRE yeah and some of the smaller kids cried but I didn’t.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Wait Natsu was this like a show or something (the uncertainty built in my chest)</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Nope it was real, the police came and everything, it was icky and there was blood everywhere, but the teacher told us not to look.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I blanched at the idea of the children having to witness that but also what had compelled that man to bite that woman.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Ohh and before that he threw up everywhere and I tried to tell the teacher he needed water and a hug, like mommy and sho do when i’m sick but she told me to be quiet.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Wow, I'll need to tell Shoyo to stop watching those gory shows with her, that's the only reason why she can be unfazed like this. Or maybe she didn’t grasp the seriousness of it all.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Well, I'm glad you had a good time in the beginning but sad to hear about what happened to the woman today and hopefully that man gets some help.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yeah me too that man kept groaning like he had a tummy ache or something, that’s probably why he threw up…….Maybe his mommy didn’t tell him he couldn’t eat people.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Yeah, maybe his mommy didn’t tell him. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Why did Natsu’s story sound like something off of what that show Izumi and the boys watched...The Walking Dead.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The sound of ambulances whirred and I tried to pull to the side of the road as the vehicle came barreling through.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Ring ring ring….</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Picking up the phone I answer</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Hello</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yuma, hey how are you." </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Aoi, I'm good, glad to hear your voice</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>HI MOMMY!!</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Hey, Sunshine-” </strong>
</p>
<p>*<em> the sound of loud hacking came through the phone. A burp followed and then the woman on the other side of the phone gasped.</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>“Oh my gosh I'm so sorry, I've been a little under the weather but you can drop Natsu off at the house today.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Well, that’s fine are you sure you're alright though, it's really no mind watching Natsu if you want to spend the day resting.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She knows that Aoi Hinata never takes days off, even when she’s sick but maybe just once she wanted to spend time with her children.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She drives the rest of the way to the Hinata residence singing along to some sad song about dinosaurs with Natsu. Barely hearing the sounds of sirens in the background. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Present Time</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>There are four important facts Yuma has to keep in mind.</em>
</p>
<ol>
<li><em>She’s the only adult here.</em></li>
<li><em>She’s responsible for four teenage boys.</em></li>
<li><em>Her husband is probably dead.</em></li>
<li><em>And Shoyo-Kun will probably be dead soon too.</em></li>
</ol>
<p>
  <em>Running a hand through fine strands, she struggles to put on her most “I am completely fine, and I’ve got everything figured out face” making sure to straighten her back.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Finally resting a hand on the doorknob she eases the door open and steps into the hallway, it's unusually quiet. It rubs at her senses.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>All the windows had been boarded up quickly with things they found in her husband's workshop.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She reaches the living room to see the three boys laid out on the couches and none of them are asleep. All three quietly existed in the room, until she cleared her throat causing the two on the couch to jump in surprise.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you all. I think today we’ll eat three cans of beans, or do yo-</strong>
</p>
<p><strong>“What's going to happen to Shoyo?”</strong> <em>her son slowly stood from the couch, the tear stains evident on his own face, and the way his hands shook at his sides until he began to wring them together in nervousness.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>The pit in her stomach continues to grow threatening to consume her from inside. Her son was hurting-these boys were hurting and there was nothing she could do about it. Because their friend was most likely dying in the room three doors down. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She wanted to stay here tucked in her part of the woods that she knew, but she was never naive or ignorant. Someday soon they would have to leave because she couldn’t take care of these boys alone. Would Shoyo turn into one of those despicable creatures? Would she have the strength to kill him, if she needed to?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She wouldn’t kill him…</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>not yet.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>We’re going to watch him. I say confidently looking directly at my son, then slowly letting my gaze fall onto Koji-kun and Mari-kun.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He’ll be quarantined in that room for 72 hours. You will not be allowed to go into that room alone, and you have to tell me first. Okay?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Wait what do we do when he needs to wash or use the bathroom” </strong>
  <em>Mari speaks up for the first time since he brought Shoyo-kun in.</em>
</p>
<p><em>All three boys looked back at me expectantly.</em> Escort.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He can bang on the door when he needs to use the bathroom and unless taken by me, two of you can escort him.</strong>
</p>
<p><strong>“Umm, we should probably knock before going into the room...so we can get a response to…….see if he’s still Shoyo.”</strong> <em>Kouji says eyes downcast as he speaks.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>The other boys nod their heads in agreement.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Good idea Koji. That reminds me, the door will be locked at all times unless you are in there with him, I'll make sure the key is in the drawer so that it won’t be hard to find. I’ll go check on him now. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Walking back down the hallway I pause at the closed door knocking but knowing I wasn’t going to receive a response. Unlocking the door and pushing it open slowly, I get a glimpse of bright orange hair, but instead of a bright smile, there was a grimace paired with scrunched up eyebrows. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I glance down at the bandaged boy, a grim smile settling on my own face. I try avoiding the restraints I tearfully did earlier on his wrist and ankles using the sheets. Sitting at the table beside the bed I softly run my hands over oily curls.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Whenever he wakes up, I’ll make sure he gets a shower. Oh and some food.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Yeah, when he wakes up.</em>
</p>
<p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>
  <em>It was on the third day after Mari had found Shoyo-Kun that he finally woke up.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Kouji was the one to run and find her, eyes unfocused and slightly shaking. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>When they got to the room, they could hear thrashing the closed doors and crying of protest. But what made them smile was the clear and distinguished sob.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“PLEASE LET ME GO! PL-(cough)PLEASE!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She hurried to the kitchen grabbing the key then running back to the door, swiftly putting the key and turning th-</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Mari put a hand on hers, stopping her movement. The other two boys and herself stared at him in shock, anger flashing over Izumi, before it was extinguished quickly by Mari.</em>
</p>
<p><strong>“Ask him what his name is, just to make sure or any personal question so that you know it's really him,”</strong> <em>he says.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>She stares in confusion, they all heard Hinata’s cries to let him go, he had to be human. Right? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Realizing that she better be safe than sorry she pulled away from the doorknob completely. Taking a deep breath, she lifted a heavy fist and knocked on the door. Clearing her throat when the thrashing abruptly stopped. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Silence.</em>
</p>
<p><strong>Hey Sweetheart it’s Yukitaka-san</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>“why am I tied up?”</strong> <em>voice just above a whisper, and rough from not being used.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>She felt her eyes water, and a knot began to form in her throat making it hard for her to speak and breathe. Shouyou was always boundless in energy, even when he was soft-spoken. Never had he seemed dead.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She realized the pause was beginning to stretch and was reminded of her audience when she felt Izumi shift by her side. How was she even supposed to handle this?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Shoyo do you remember what happened before you woke up today?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The bed creaked and the sound of shuffling covers was heard.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“i-”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He let out a strong sob that shook the door and passed right through her heart. It was like the temperature dropped in the house, despite being in the middle of the summer months.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She and the others patiently waited for a response, and it finally came.</em>
</p>
<p><strong>“i-i was bit…”</strong> <em>he trailed off and the sounds of ragged and uneven breaths made it through the cracks of the door frame.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Before she could think, he spoke again.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“You think i’ll become a zombie.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It wasn’t a question, and it was voiced with pain but he didn’t falter over his words, he understood the gravity of what had happened. But she thought to herself, if he can continue a conversation with her he couldn’t be a zombie. All the zombies she had seen or heard about were not communicative at all, only reduced to grunting and garbled moans and wheezes. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Hinata Shoyo sounded like none of those things. He didn’t sound like a zombie, he sounded completely fine.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>So...what does that mean?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She only remembered watching two or three zombie movies in her entire life, and she could hardly remember the plot much less important details. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Moving with purpose she brings the key back to the doorknob and this time completes the task with interruption. She hadn’t noticed Mari leaving her and the other two boys to enter the room with Shoyo in it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The boy had tears streaming down his face, and his lip trembled at every forced breath.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She quickly undid the binds on Shoyo and brought him into a strong hug. Making sure to avoid his injured hand and the scratches on his side. The other two boys carefully wrap their arms around Shoyo. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She doesn’t mind the way his shoulders shake, or the way tears soak through her shirt and the realization that he has unintentionally gotten snot on her. Only because her own shoulders were shaking and her tears fell into his hair. She heard Izumi mumble words into Shoyos ear and Kouji held the hand that was wrapped around her middle.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She promised herself right then that she would protect these boys, and to do that she needed help. </em>
</p>
<p><em>There have to be people out there or even the military. She just has to find them.</em><br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/><strong>Static filled the quiet living, as a forgotten CB radio laid on the coffee table.</strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>...h..hello..i-s anyone th..e.re if you're... a...live and fri..endly c..co............to m...........cam....at.........</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>..h..hello..i-s anyone th..e.re if you're... a...live and fri..endly c..co............to m...........cam....at.........</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>..h..hello..i-s anyone th..e.re if you're... a...live and fri..endly c..co............to m...........cam....at.........</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>..h..hello..i-s anyone th..e.re if you're... a...live and fri..endly c..co............to m...........cam....at.........</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>..h..hello..i-s anyone th..e.re if you're... a...live and fri..endly c..co............to m...........cam....at.........</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>..h..hello..i-s anyone th..e.re if you're... a...live and fri..endly c..come to the military safe camp at shi...................(beeeeeeeeeeep)</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi, im like 1000 years late but school has started back up. Anyways I'm sorry if the story is a little wack so far its just hard to get the ball rolling so I can finally write the exciting stuff. Also if u find any grammar mistakes please let me know. Once again thank you soo much for those who continued to read, and I hope you stay. </p>
<p>So info on the story I really thought about just killing everyones parents but there are some adults canon and oc that I want to introduce to give me more variety for angst and building relationships and connections. Yuma(41) is Izumi Yukitaka's(16; Shoyo's childhood friend) mom, and she is currently taking care of Kouji Sekimukai (16), Mari Nakamura(17), and Shoyo Hinata(16). You might have noticed that Mari is a little distanced from the group but I'll explain that in the next chapter which for the sake of time will be a time skip of them finding people to shelter with.</p>
<p>oh and tell me what you think will happen in the next chapter or what you hope to see. (♡μ_μ)</p>
<p>Stay safe, and read on.</p>
<p>FM</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Almost There</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I had to split this chapter, but welcome to Sendai.</p><p>TW: Death, Gore (blood, bodily fluids), Violence,(tags that should have been mentioned earlier sorry yall)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the uncoordinated posting, midterms are this week and I'm trying to get assignments in. Anyway, the next chapter should be up in about an hour. Please feel free to make comments, and thanks to those of you who have continued to read I really appreciate it.</p><p>Sincerely ya boi,<br/>FM</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Chapter 5</b>
</p><p>
  <b>TW: Death, Gore, Violence, Vomiting (tags that should have been mentioned earlier sorry yall)</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Timeskip: 1 month</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hinata Shoyo POV</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>..h..hello..i-s anyone th..e.re if you're... a...live and fri..endly c..come to the military safe camp at shiri...................(beeeeeeeeeeep)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dear Diary,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The plan was to leave the house as soon as we had heard the message. There was an actual military camp, and they wanted people to come. Although the message was pretty ominous the way it continuously cut out. I may not be the most academically gifted but I’m pretty sure they were saying Shiratorizawa, like the school or maybe the street.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sadly Sendai is 92.2 miles from Yukigaoka, and by bus, it took us 1 hour and 30 minutes last time. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But seeing how the Zombie Apocalypse just happened and the temperature has dropped quite a lot. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ohh and Yukitaka-san says the air tasted like we should get our first snow soon.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Our party includes four teenage boys, two who could be mistaken for middle schoolers, and a woman who looked close to a mental breakdown all the time. But who could blame her, mentally they were all barely making it. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So in summary; <span class="u"><strong>WE ARE SO FUCKED.</strong></span></span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I close the diary, quickly grabbing my pack and ax. Ughh I really wanted to layer up but too many layers would make it hard to move, Yukitaka-san said it was going to be very cold but we couldn’t delay our trip any further back, because, there was a chance that they could reach full capacity, a very high chance they couldn’t accept everyone.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The good news is that we were valuable (according to Koji); all five of us could hunt, Yukitaka-san and Mari taught us how to skin what we could catch. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Reaching the living room I noticed all the scattered remnants of Izumi’s house. Things that were considered invaluable or a burden to take. I think back to how quickly I decided what to take with me. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span> Izumi and Koji sat close on the couch huddled together with their bags held close.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>While tucked in the corner was Mari who stared at the ground with a sharp intensity, two identical blades laid in front of him. Hands constantly clenching and unclenching in his lap.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Before I could sit down Yukitaka-san appeared from the hallway, heavy coat on, with a bag on her back. The look in her eyes made my chest constrict, almost painfully.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>“Time to go”</em>
  </strong>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I would cry right about now, but I know that would just make me even colder. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We’ve been walking for five days, BY FOOT. But I got to take my bike with me which was good, I didn’t ride it much.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We followed the freeway to Sendai. The snow began to fall last night, but risking another night in an abandoned car would have left them just like the other abandoned souls on the freeway.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That was another thing, there was so much death. Everyone in our group had their rough night, filled with nightmares of the empty shredded car seats, corpses that somehow looked worse than they smelt, and monsters that had sagging skin filled with holes, oozing liquids he had a hard time describing. Yeah, there was much to fear out here in the open where one mistake could lead to their deaths.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shaking my head I focus on the tall buildings of the city of Sendai, the empty cars that line the street, and the zombies that just roam about. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I looked at Mari in front of me, his sun-streaked coils slightly windswept, and his posture surprisingly relaxed even though he held one sword slightly raised as we walked along the sidewalk close to the buildings. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>My own ax hung by my side ready to strike if needed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Everyone else stood similarly, the sun that reflected against the snow was slightly blinding but in a way beautiful if you could miss the dead woman that he was currently stepping over. He held back a gag. Chunks of her skull missing and chunks of brown hair scattered across the sidewalk.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The sounds of groans and the wind blowing were the only thing heard. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Every step was taken with care unless you cared to alert all the zombies to your presence and location.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! HELP ME!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman came rounding the corner from a street further ahead, the sun highlighting her silhouette making it hard to see her face, she weaved between cars stumbling out of the way of other zombies, then there was the group of about 20 adults all running after her, women, men, and children. Fear etched into their features, I was frozen, there were about a hundred or more zombies emerging from the sidestreet, the people who weren’t fast enough were trampled by the...horde.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No words were spoken but a hand was clamped around my wrist pulling me down to the ground. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>“under the car!” </strong>
  <em>
    <span>he whispers to our own group who was ready to start running. Yukitaka-san looked at us before quickly dashing under a Toyota Corolla in the middle of the street, she pulled the dead body towards her.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mari dashes up, dragging the body in the car and dragging in to lay on the ground beside us under the car. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The screams continued, as humans and zombies alike passed where each of us was hiding. One woman fell to the ground, luck not on her side, as multiple gnarled hands grabbed at her, ripping into skin and muscle, and breaking bone.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just as the woman hit the ground a little girl ran to the car in front of us sliding underneath….unnoticed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I look up staring at the bottom of the car; a layer of frost covering it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Combined with the freezing cold temperature that continued to drop and the horrid smell of decaying flesh, from the body that laid slightly in my face. I try my best not to pay attention to the maggots. The horde moved slowly taking their time, while others linger for longer finishing up the quick meals they were able to get.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>My ass was definitely frozen, but at least the ground wasn’t wet</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I had long since grabbed Mari’s hand, who seemed colder than normal. He was completely still at first I was afraid he had fallen asleeo-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>NO GET BACK DOWN, stupid stupid stupid decision.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I watched as the little girl slowly slid from under the car in front of us, Mari’s hand tightly squeezed mine. Relief flooded me, but the remaining blood drained from my face.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She scrambled back frightened by the zombie that had spotted her, this wasn’t like the normal ones you could tell by the way it moved; a little surer on its feet. Pushing the others out of the way, Mari began scooting out.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“OI OVER HERE”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>My neck snapped back quickly, staring directly at Yukitaka-san as she struggled to get from under the car. Most of the zombies were just as quick to hone in on the newly added item on the menu.  </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The zombies that were beside the car we were under, moved away. And the zombies that were making their way towards the little girl faltered, giving the girl enough time to run away. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But the one abnormal zombie, let out a guttural growl and made chase. Pushing itself along the side of cars, slowly building up speed in the direction of the little girl.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But the panic that surged as we watched Yukitaka-san, I hadn’t even realized Mari had pushed the body away and was already running to catch up to the little girl. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I quickly started moving, heading in the direction of Yukitaka-san, weaving between the stalled cars. It wasn’t even worth it to try and hide as I made my way there. Arcing my ax through any walking corpse.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I could see Yukitaka-san, she climbed on top of a car and was imitating whack a mole on anything that dares get close enough. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>HINATA WATCH OUT</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Quickly turning around I was tackled to the floor by a zombie but not before pushing my axe up with everything I had. Causing a thick black substance to spray from the zombie's throat as I continue to push my ax up, trying to keep its disgusting teeth away from me. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ughhh zombie breath just might be a new way to die. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Finally, I push through with enough force severing the head, my lips pressed tightly together. Hyper aware of the black blood that coated most of my face, neck, and hands. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I began to push the body away when gunshots rang out. Muffled pops caused me to freeze where I was. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No one used guns unless they had to.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Izumi carried a shotgun, but the rapid succession of the pops. Meant this was someone else, automated rifle maybe. There was shouting from further up the streets, and the bullets continued to rain down.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Were they dumb, they were just attracting more undead to this area... </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If there were just blindly shooting then…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They could have hit Yukitaka-san.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But I don’t remember anything sounding like her amongst the loud chaos caused by whoever was shooting like a madman.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I slowly moved the body from on top of me, knees digging into the asphalt. I hadn’t even noticed I was starting to lose feeling in my gloved hands. I continued crawling, the bullets that continued to spray, painting abstract designs on the sides of the cars. I pressed my chest into the ground, breathing heavily as a particular set of bullets came a little too close.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I see Izumin hiding behind a flipped car, Koji was on the other side of him. Hands clasped on their weapons. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He needed to think quickly should he shout out telling them to stop shooting, but what if they weren’t friendly. But at this rate, they would die or at least be shot by a stray bullet.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>In a shot of confidence and a whole lot of stupidity, he shot up.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>STOP SHOOTING</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A bullet whizzed past his ear and another past his neck. He was known to need to use the bathroom if he was anxious and in this moment he felt his stomach turn and two drops of pee escape. To say this was one of the scariest moments of his life, to die during a zombie apocalypse being shot by people. His cheeks were clenched and he continued to shout until he realized that the popping sounds of the guns seized and he could make out military uniforms.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Relief flooded him and he relaxed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>i-i really have to poop.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>After finally getting my body in check, I look up to see the military men about 7 making their way towards me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oof I’m glad I didn’t accidentally shit myself, I couldn’t even help the laugh that bubbled up. I mean what's the point of being deadly silent if the gunshots would have already alerted anyone or anything nearby of their location.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'm laughing hard when I’m pulled roughly into someone's chest.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“HINATA SHOYO DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH, DO NOT EVER DO SOMETHING SO RECKLESS AS THAT EVER AGAIN. YOU NEARLY GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK. </em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>you could have been hurt, God-”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yukitaka-sans shoulder shook as she pressed me deeper into her chest. Soon I was being hugged from each side.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Any one of us could have died.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Umm, we should probably stop hugging, this really isn’t the time.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I say trying to wiggle out of the hold Koji and Yukitaka-san had on me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just as I say that the Military people, who had been taking their sweet time getting to us, interrupted.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yukitaka-san skillfully moved between them and us.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Sorry about all the shooting, just wanted to make sure all the zombies were dead” </b>
  <span>the man said, the dryness of his tone conveyed he wasn’t really sorry and he wanted us to know that. Yukitaka-sans face remained impassive at his response.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Why exactly are you </b>
  <b>
    <em>shooting </em>
  </b>
  <b>out in the open wasting bullets like that?”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The man and the military people shifted under Yukitaka-sans glare. Before the man could answer, Yukitaka-san spoke again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“You just alerted all the living and dead in a 100 mile square radius of our location, also you may risk hitting normal people. I’m trying to get me and my boys to the Shiratorizawa camp.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I mentally facepalm, at the coldness of Yukitaka-sans voice. She couldn’t try to sugar coat her words even a little? The whole “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” saying. No need to make an enemy when you don’t need to. But they were all-wait. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His head moving side to side in a swivel motion he tries to catch the light of the pale pink jacket and bouncy brown curls.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he doesn’t.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t catch a glimpse of sharp and shiny metal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mari’s not back yet, why didn’t anyone say anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“C’mon Hinata we’re leaving, and wipe off your face it's covered in blood” </b>
  <em>
    <span>I looked beside me to Koji who had spoken, noticing everyone had started moving up the street.</span>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>
<b>“Mari’s not back yet, he ran after that girl.” </b>
  <span>I turn in the direction of the building I remember him running into.</span>
</p>
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